]]>If you’re in the market for a way to hook your musical instrument up to your Mac or iOS device, and have a need to do multitrack recording on your iOS device, IK Multimedia has recently released two new products that may help you: iRig HD and AmpliTube Studio.

iRig HD is an upgrade to the old iRig adapter, and Amplitube Studio is a $26 in-app purchase in the AmpliTube app. In this post, I’ll talk about my experiences using these new products and how they might integrate into my musical workflow. I’ve become quite a fan of IK Multimedia’s products over the last few years, and I was very curious to see how these new releases performed.

iRig HD

As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m strings-deep into band rehearsals. Aside: isn’t that new-band smell great? While I used my USB Fender Stratocaster for a lot of the practice time, I also used the iRig HD ($99) for a lot of it. I’m going to spend a lot of time saying nice things about the iRig HD, so I’m going to start by saying I wasn’t overly thrilled with its predecessor, the iRig.

The iRig used your iOS device’s headphone jack for its input. As a result the sound quality was iffy. The iRig pretty much earned a spot in my truck’s glove box for use if I was buying a guitar and needed a tuner.

The iRig HD solves a lot of those problems. Instead of using your headphone jack, the iRig HD ships with USB, 30-pin and Lightning connector cables. As a result, the audio quality is much improved. The only downside is that you won’t be able to also charge your device while using it.

Unlike the Apogee Jam (which currently does not come with a Lightning connector), I found the iRig had a very solid connector to its main unit. It comes in two pieces: the main piece where you connect your instrument’s 1/4″ cable, and then the cable that connects this unit to your Mac or iOS device. The Apogee Jam’s connector was a tad flimsy. The iRig HD cable connector reminds me of the old Apple ADB connectors and fit snugly.

Over the last two weeks, I’ve been using the iRig fairly often and haven’t had any issues with it. I think it’s well worth the $99 asking price, especially if you have an iPhone 5.

AmpliTube Studio

The other new product IK Multimedia will release on Thursday is an upgraded Amplitube app, with a new Studio module. Previous versions of AmpliTube had an in-app purchase for an 8-track recorder, but Studio turns your iOS device into more of a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). While Apple has its own iOS DAW with GarageBand ($4.99), it’s a little limited. The in-app amps aren’t that good, and you have to remember to tell GarageBand to record more than a few measures if you want to record a full song. While GarageBand does support Audiobus now, it’s still a limited recording platform.

AmpliTube Studio is a step closer. I much prefer AmpliTube’s amps over GarageBand’s, and having a better DAW within AmpliTube is a win for me. AmpliTube also comes with a decent little drum looper, where you can program intro, outro and verse drum loops. It ships with a set of Rock loops, and others are available via — you guessed it — an in-app purchase.

The app uses a grid layout similar to GarageBand, and you can move, cut, copy, paste and punch-in. I was able to record several minutes of audio without any issues. While the audio quality certainly wasn’t pro-level, it was good enough to piece together song demos. The biggest problem I have, is trying to figure out where the Studio module would fit in my workflow. Just about every time I decide something I’m working on needs multi-track recording, I end up deciding to do it on my Mac with GarageBand. I think it will be fine if someone is on the road, and just wants to layer some guitars and vocals for a demo. What makes it very hard is there still isn’t a good way to capture multiple input sources on an iOS device.

Final thoughts

I’m very happy with the iRig HD. It’s been a product I was eager to get my hands on since it was announced at the National Association of Music Merchants show (NAMM) earlier this year and the release does not disappoint me. It’s a product I can see myself using for quite some time.

AmpliTube Studio earns high marks for a nicely designed product that works well. I’m just not sure how often I’d use it. That said, if I were a touring musician, using AmpliTube studio and a guitar on a tour bus sure would be convenient.

]]>As a musician who is also gadget-happy, I’ve accumulated more guitar input devices for my iPad than I knew what to do with. So, I’m going to share my experiences with the available options to connect to your axe to your iOS device. These allow you to use your iOS device as an amp, or allow you to record your guitar, bass or keyboard on GarageBand for iOS. One of the ways I use them is if I’m going on vacation and want to play my guitar, I’ll throw one of these in my guitar case with some headphones and be able to jam without bringing my amp. (Not that bringing a Marshall stack into a motel room is without its charms.)

Before I get started, there are a few things you’ll need. Obviously, a guitar, bass or keyboard. If you have a lot of extra money and feel the need to justify a new purchase, maybe this is a good time to pick up this new beauty by Fender. You’ll also need a guitar cable and a set of headphones or speakers. Also, since most of these are designed to be used with GarageBand for iOS, you’ll want a copy of that, too.

iRig ($39.99)

The iRig by IK Multimedia is a fun little device that plugs into the headphone jack of your iOS device. You plug your guitar cable into the iRig. The iRig also has its own headphone jack to act as an audio out. For a long while, the iRig was my only audio interface, and I’ve been very happy with it. However, this interface is the lone exception to the “works well with GarageBand.” While it will certainly feed into GarageBand, I’ve found it’s just way too noisy to use to record with. Why do I like it then? Because it’s designed to work with the AmpliTube suite of products, including the licensed Fender and Slash amp modelers. For general practicing, I love these apps and use them all the time.

Apogee Jam ($99)

The Apogee Jam isn’t cheap, but it is very good. In addition to connecting your guitar to your iOS device, it also connects via USB to your Mac. During my testing it works fine with AmpliTube and the Slash apps by IK Multimedia. It also generates a fairly noise-free interface to GarageBand. The reason this one is a favorite, though, is its ability to connect to my Mac and iOS device. This means that I want to record on either my iPad or Mac, one tool will do the job. Even though my guitar amp has a USB-out, when I lay down bass tracks on my Mac, I’ll use the Jam as the audio interface.

Griffin Studio Connect ($149)

Yeah. You read that right. A hundred and fifty bucks. The Griffin Studio Connect is the most expensive unit I’ve looked at. If you’re going to be doing a lot of recording on iOS, it’s worth it. It has audio in and out, MIDI in and out, a headphone jack, and a gigantic volume knob on the front. It also doubles as an iPad dock. I’m really happy with this. It’s a solid piece of gear and a whole lot better than having input devices bouncing around your desk. While I don’t use MIDI, I love that it’s there in case I do decide to learn keyboards.

The Gig Test: How I use them

The iRig I keep floating around to use my iPhone as a tuner when I go shopping and I’ll usually keep it in my gig bag in case I want to sit outside and play. Due to the pervasive hiss when I record with it in GarageBand, it fails that test.

The Apogee Jam I keep in my studio (I’m lucky that I have a room dedicated to music in the house). It’s where most of my guitars sit and if I want to record on my iPad or Mac, I’ll do it there. My amp does USB out, so I’ll often feed that through the Jam into my Mac. I’m still struggling with a way to record from my amp to iOS GarageBand. I’ve tried using the Camera Connection kit as a USB port, or running the headphone jack in via an interface, and I’ve been skunked every time.

The Studio Connect sits on my desk in my office. I keep a guitar on a wall in my office (why, yes, my house does bear a resemblance to the Stevie Ray Vaughan video Cold Shot, why do you ask?) I use the Studio Connect as an iPad docking station, and keep a set of speakers and a guitar cable connected to it. If I feel like making a little music while I’m in the office working, I have all the tools I need.